The province is home to 4,671 trawlers which regularly operate at sea.
For safe and sustainable fishery
Vo Duy Tien in Binh Chau commune, Xuyen Moc district owns a number of fishing vessels. Whenever a fishing vessel goes out to sea, Mr. Tien reminds its captain to observe laws, fly national flags, open cruise monitoring device and absolutely not use explosives and other prohibited fishing equipment. He confided that the sea feeds the fishermen, thus each fisherman must be responsible for the sea and natural resources for the survival and sustainable development of the fishery.
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Representatives of Naval Region 2 provide fishermen of Xuyen Moc district with information about national maritime sovereignty. |
Responsible fishing for the safe and sustainable fishery is one of the province’s goals in its project named “Developing Ba Ria - Vung Tau into a national maritime economic center in 2030 with a vision to 2045.” To this end, the provincial People’s Committee and relevant agencies have developed and carried out solutions to make the fishery friendly to the environment.
According to Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the department has strictly dealt with new fishing vessels exploiting seafood in a killing way, encouraged fishermen to cultivate to regenerate aquatic and seafood resources, and banned fishing during the growing season. The department has also advised the provincial people's committee to support fishermen in changing jobs, such as engaging in tourism field, and focusing on offshore fishing in a selective way. Also, it has given instructions on establishing self-managing fishery groups, seafaring couples, more than 350 solidarity teams to supervise and support each other while going to open sea.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Cong Vinh underlined that safe and sustainable fishing is a long-term target.
Each fishing vessel is a sovereign marker
For more than 15 years living from fishing, fisherman Nguyen Van Nho from Phuoc Tinh commune, Long Dien district has found foreign flags planted on mounds under Vietnam’s sovereignty a number of times. He immediately reported to the mainland and pulled up the strange flags. Nho has many times updated naval troops on foreign ships with abnormal signs in the bordering waters.
Nho said that thanks to the information on responsibility and sovereignty defense disseminated by troops and local organizations, fishermen are deeply aware of their role to act as a living marker confirming the national maritime sovereignty.
Like Nho, other fishermen in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province also show their responsibility with the Fatherland. They provide timely situations at sea for authorized forces, remind each other to fly national flags while fishing, observe fishing laws and avoid any unnecessary animosity.
Senior Colonel Le Xuan Binh, Commanding Officer of the provincial Military Command said that the local armed forces have actively teamed with local border, coast guard forces and relevant agencies to organize a series of programs, such as “Breakfast with fishermen,” “Morning cafe with fishermen,” “Accompanying fishermen,” “Vietnamese naval troops being support for fishermen to go to open sea,” “Naval troops sponsor fishermen’s children.” These programs have helped fishermen feel secure while fishing offshore and encouraged them to contribute to firmly defending the national maritime sovereignty.
In the first quarter of this year, the provincial authorized forces received 191 reports on violations of national maritime sovereignty and operation of strange ships, contributing to timely handling of situations at sea.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tho stressed that "Safe fishing must be associated with strengthening national defense potential and building a strong armed force. This is the common responsibility of the political system and the entire people for sustainable sea economy development on the basis of green growth and firm defense of sea and islands in the spirit of "each ship is a sovereign marker, each fisherman is a soldier to safeguard the sacred national sovereignty over sea and islands."
Translated by Mai Huong